It was a dreary, gray morning, the kind that made Jo want to stay in bed all day. She rolled onto her side, pulled the covers up higher around her neck and closed her eyes again.

She jumped as the door banged open. "Mother? Can I go into town with Nick today?" Rob asked, jumping on her bed next to her.

"May I," Jo corrected her son with a yawn.

"Aw, Mother," Rob said, obviously annoyed by the correction. "May I go into town with Nick today?"

Jo looked at the clock – just past 5am. "Wait until morning and I will speak with him," Jo answered. She opened the covers for him to join her.

"It is morning now Mother. Nick is outside working," Rob said, looking out the window.

Jo groaned. "Doesn’t that man ever sleep?" She looked at her son. "It is still very early Rob. Everyone else is still sleeping. Come lay down with me and we will speak with him later."

Rob gazed longingly at Nick as he worked in the early morning light. Then he laid down next to his mother and went back to sleep.

Later that morning, Jo and Rob were in the kitchen when Nick walked in. "Howdy Nick!" Rob said.

Nick smiled. "Howdy Li’l Sailor. G’mornin’ Jo."

"Nick, can I go into town with you today?" Rob asked cheerfully.

"Ya mean ‘May I’," Nick corrected.

Rob smiled, laughing. "Oh yeah. May I go into town with you today?"

Jo was surprised at the exchange. She looked at Nick who just shrugged.

"Sure Li’l Sailor, but only if it’s alright with yer Ma."

Rob beamed as Jo nodded her head yes.

"And if ya got yer chores done," Nick added.

Rob’s face fell. "They’re not done yet."

"Well I’m not leavin’ yet, so get a move on if ya wanna go."

Rob ran out of the house quickly, shouting, "All right Nick. Yipee!"

"Guess I got time fer a cup o’ coffee after all," Nick said, smiling to Jo as he went to the stove. "Will ya join me?"

"It would be my pleasure. Thank you for waiting for him."

"Ah, that’s alright. I don’t mind. It’ll be fun ta have some company."

Nick poured two cups of coffee and they sat down together. Their arms touched but neither one made an effort to move away.

"He loves when you call him Little Sailor."

"Yeah?" Nick smiled. "My Pa used ta call me Li’l Man. Made me feel good inside. Wanted Rob to feel like that, too."

"He does."

Jo was surprised at Nick’s mention of his father, but she was not surprised at the nickname he had given his son. She believed that Nick had worked every day of his life to live up to it.

Nick looked at Jo uneasily, suddenly aware of what he had just shared. "So, what time is Amy’s party tonight?" he queried, changing the subject quickly, which did not surprise Jo either.

"8 o’clock, and I am so excited about it," Jo said. "Aren’t you?"

"I’ll be with you, so that’s excitin’."

"You don’t want to go?" Jo asked, disappointed.

"Yeah, I do wanna go. Sounds like fun." He winked at her. "But the best part’ll be bein’ with you."

"Don’t look like we’ll be goin’ on no picnic today, L’il Sailor," Nick said to Rob on their way back from town.

"Aw Nick, but I want to," Rob whined.

"I know, but we can’t go on no picnic in the rain. We’ll go ‘nother time, I promise. Now if we can just git this wagon movin’ I could git ya outta this rain."

"Are we stuck, Nick?" Rob asked nervously.

"Just a little. All this rain’s made the road mighty muddy. Think ya can handle the reins while I push?" Nick asked.

"Sure I can," Rob answered excitedly.

Nick handed Rob the reins and climbed down out of the wagon into the ankle high mud. He looked at Rob and saw him shivering. "I can’t push too good with this on," Nick said unbuttoning his coat. "Will ya hold it fer me?"

"Sure Nick." He helped Rob slip his arms into the coat and then smiled. Rob smiled happily flopping the long sleeves.

Nick sloshed through the mud and placed his hands on the spokes of one wheel. "Alright Li’l Sailor, easy does it." Rob snapped the reins just the way Nick had shown him as Nick pushed hard, but nothing happened. They tried a few more times with no luck.

"S’pose we outta start walkin’ Li’l Sailor."

"We can do it, Nick. Just one more time. Come on."

Rob’s enthusiasm and confidence was contagious. Nick laughed and nodded his head. "Alright."

Rob snapped the reins as Nick pushed. The wagon lurched forward and then stopped short. Nick’s feet slipped and he landed chest down in the mud. As he tried to get up he slipped again and landed on his back. Finally, he stood up. Rob laughed hysterically at the sight of Nick covered head to toe in mud.

Nick looked down at himself and began to laugh, too.

"Sorry Nick."

"That’s alright."

"I suppose we ought to start walking, huh, Nick?"

Nick looked at Rob and remembered the endless, exhausting miles of mud and snow that he and his father had trudged through while looking for work when he was a boy.

"S’pose so. But you ain’t walkin’. I am. You’re gonna ride." Nick picked up a sack from the back of the wagon and filled it to the top. He slipped the rope over his head and across his shoulder.

He unhitched the horse and sat Rob on him. "Can ya hold somethin’ up there Li’l Sailor?"

"Sure I can, Nick."

Nick picked out a small box from the back of the wagon and handed it to the boy. He noticed that Rob’s small hat was not keeping him very dry. "Would ya hold this, too?" he asked, placing his hat on Rob’s head.

"Sure Nick. I’ll take good care of it."

Then Nick hoisted a crate onto his shoulder, took the reins in his other hand and, clicking his tongue, began to lead the horse through the mud and muck.

"Oh, you poor thing," Jo said to Rob when they had returned home.

"I’m all right Mother. Nick took good care of me," Rob boasted.

"I can see that," Jo said as she helped her son out of Nick’s coat and hat. She smiled broadly. "Where is he, anyway?"

"I’m right out here, Jo," Nick said from outside.

"I’ll take Rob upstairs and get him into some dry clothes Aunt Jo," Bess offered.

"Thank you, Bess."

"Yipee!" Rob shouted as he held his cousin’s hand and walked up the stairs. "What an adventure."

Jo moved towards the door, calling Nick.

"Don’t have ta yell, Jo. I’m right here," she heard him say.

Then she saw him in the doorway, laughing. "Don’t think ya want me in there."

Jo looked at him covered in mud and laughed, too.

"You’re a mess," she said. "Come on in and get cleaned up."

"Nah, I gotta go git the rest of the things from the wagon."

"They can wait until the rain stops, Nick."

"No, I need ‘em for toni---". He stopped himself, a little smile on his face."

"Tonight? We are supposed to go to Amy’s party tonight. What do you need for that?"

"Ain’t gonna make it in this weather, Jo. We’ll just stay here together."

Jo looked disappointed.

"Well, don’t look so thrilled ‘bout bein’ alone with me," Nick teased.

"It’s not that. I was just so looking forward to this party."

"Don’t worry, Jo. I got somethin’ special in mind."

"Ooh, what?"

"It’s a surprise."

"I hate surprises," Jo said grumpily, looking away.

She looked at Nick again and realized that he was shivering. "You’re soaked to the bone. I insist that you come in here and get dried off and warmed up."

"Ya sure?" He grinned, taking another look at his filthy clothes.

"Of course. Just don’t get anything dirty." Jo laughed. He wiped his boots off on the mat and went in.

Nick walked over to the fireplace to warm up and dry off, being careful not to touch anything. Jo came to him with a towel and began to clean the mud from his hands. Enjoying her gentle touch, he let her do it.

"Thank you for taking such good care of Rob. Your coat and hat are right here." She pointed to them hanging by the fireplace.

"Yer welcome."

Jo picked up a clean towel and began to clean the mud from his face. Again, he enjoyed it enough to let her do it.

"You told Rob that he reminds you of Ben?" Jo asked.

Nick smiled broadly. "Yeah."

"What did you mean by that?" Jo asked.

Nick detected the note of disapproval in her voice. His face fell. He moved her hand away gently. "Didn’t mean nothin’ bad, Jo. Ben was a great kid. Couldn’t ‘ave loved ‘im more if he was my own son." He shook his head. "Didn’t mean nothin’ bad by it."

Seeing his reaction, and hearing what the statement reflected about his feelings for Rob, Jo suddenly felt very guilty for asking. "I am sure you didn’t mean anything bad, Nick. Rob thinks very highly of you, too."

She picked up a clean towel and began to dry his hair, her body next to his. "I’m sorry," she said.

"That’s alright." He leaned down and kissed her gently on the neck.

She looked up at him and they gazed into each other’s eyes, lost in the moment. He took the towel from her hand, leaned down again and kissed her on the mouth. Her lips parted as she leaned her body into his.

Suddenly, he pulled away. "I’m gettin’ ya all dirty," he said awkwardly. Jo was surprised. "And I, uh, I gotta go git the rest of the things from the wagon," he continued as he backed up towards the door.

"Without your coat and hat?" Jo asked, turning away to reach for them.

She turned back to see him walking out the door. He jumped onto the horse bare back and headed down the road.

"Nick!" she called out as he rode away.